The present invention pertains to exercise apparatus for increasing upper extremity strength. The repetitive exercise of the arms and shoulders against a resistance strengthens the chest, triceps and shoulder musculature. In many existing upper arm strengthening apparatus, cables and pulleys are used to allow the arms of the user to raise and lower weights. In other apparatus, elastic ropes or bands or other spring structures are used to provide resistance to movement of the arms. Various apparatus also replicate the action of rowing to strengthen arm muscles. However such apparatus exercise the biceps rather than the triceps of the user. Many of the prior art apparatus require complicated levers to subject the exercised muscles to the resistive load. In addition, such devices frequently increase the resistance to the arm muscles at the stages of flexion or extension at which such muscles have their least reserve of strength. A simple yet safe and effective exercise apparatus is needed to intensely exercise the triceps, pectoral, and anterior and medial deltoid muscles.
The present invention provides an exercise apparatus which allows a user to intensely exercise the triceps, anterior and medial deltoid, and pectoral muscles without substantial risk of injury. The present invention utilizes free weights available in the typical gymnasium weight room which may be loaded in a safe manner without raising the free weight higher than the hips of the person loading the machine. The exercise apparatus may be loaded in a parked position such that the user may commence the exercise activity from a midpoint of the user""s upper extremity range of motion.
The exercise apparatus is supported on a generally rectangular base on which a seat is mounted, the seat including a seat rest and a back rest against which a user seated on the seat rest may lean. Mounted to the frame opposing the seat is a central upright support post. A yoke member is hinged to the top of the upright support post by a dual pivot hinge. The yoke member includes an elongate transverse bar provided at each of its opposing ends with a primary lever which extends generally rearward toward the seat. The primary levers may diverge slightly as they extend rearward. Each primary lever has a handgrip mounted generally perpendicularly to the free end of the primary lever. Each handgrip is directed inwardly toward the other handgrip and each handgrip includes a first part mounted to the primary lever. A second part of the handgrip extends perpendicularly from the free end of the first part. The second part of each handgrip is oriented generally in parallel to and coplanar with the primary lever to which the handgrip is mounted. Perpendicularly mounted to the transverse bar and to each primary lever is a weight moment arm which extends rearward. Each weight moment arm has a free end to which is mounted a cylindrical weight receiving rod which extends outwardly from the weight moment arm at a substantial perpendicular. Olympic-style circular free weights may be suspended on the weight receiving rods as desired to provide sufficient loading for the exercise apparatus. The yoke is rotatively joined to the upright support post such that it may pivot around the axis of the upright support post. The rotation of the yoke about the vertical axis is severely restricted non-symmetrically to less than about ten degrees of rotation. The yoke is also pivotable about a horizontal axis disposed immediately above the vertical pivot connection of the yoke to the upright support post.
Extending upward from opposing sides of the frame are rest support members or standards having upper free ends on which each of the weight arms may rest. The upper free end of each rest support member is provided with an upstanding plate while each of the weight arms has a protrusion on its underside so that the upstanding plate of the rest support member may engage the protrusion of the weight arm to prevent horizontal rotation of the yoke when the weight arms are lowered to rest on the rest supports. The exercise apparatus is preferably stored in a parked position with the weight arms resting on the rest supports. Free weights may be added or removed from the opposing weight support rods while the exercise apparatus is in a parked position.
The user may raise or lower the seat upon its support post and then seat himself or herself upon the seat and grasp the handgrips at either the first or second regions thereof. The user may then press the yoke forward followed by slightly rotating the yoke about its vertical pivot axis on the upright support post to disconnect each primary arm from the rest support on which it has been resting. The rotation of the yoke may then be reversed after the weight moment arms are elevated sufficiently for the protrusion of the weight arms to clear the upstanding plates of the rest support members. Then the user may reciprocatingly operate the primary levers by pushing them away and then lowering them toward himself or herself.
It is an object of the invention to provide an effective exercise apparatus for the upper extremities which allows selective loading with free weights.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an exercise apparatus which allows intense yet safe exercise of the triceps, anterior and medial deltoid, and pectoral muscles.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an exercise apparatus which may be loaded with free weights without raising such weights above waist height.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an exercise apparatus which may be adapted to users of various heights.
The foregoing and other salutary objects of the invention will be understood from review of the detailed description which follows.